Candling egg carton



June 5, 1934.y Q 5 HAssE-LL V 1,961,293

CANDLING EGG CARTON June 5, 1934. c. s. .HAssr-:LL

CANDLING EGG CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed N Ov. 29, 1952 Patented June 5, 1934k 'UNITED "STATES .PATENT oFl-lcla cANnLnve` EGG CARTON Cecil s. nassen, Miami, F1a. Application November 29, 1932, Serial. No. 644,864 2 claims. (cl. 229-29) The invention forming the 'subject matter-of I this applica-tion is a candling egg carton forming an improvement on .the egg carton disclosed in the pending application of Hassell` et al., Serial No. 538,804, filed May 20, 1931.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a carton retaining all the advantages of the carton disclosed in said application, and adding other novel features thereto for the pur,-

pose of strengthening the carton as a whole and increasing. the protection of the eggs therein against breakage without impairing those char'- acteristics which adapt the carton lfor use in a candling machine.

Other` objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective of the carton, illustrating-the several parts thereof in position for assembling;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the carton;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3; and l Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates generallyv the body of the carton having a bottom wall 2 `suitably connected or .formed integral with the front wall 3, rear wall 4 and opposite end walls 5 and 6. The rear wall 4 has the cover 7 hinged thereto and adapted to 35 extend across the lopen top of the body 1 to form a closure for the same. The cover -7 is, provided with a ap 8 adapted to be tucked into the body of the container and against the front wall 3 thereof. The flap 8 is provided with a. tab 9 adapted to be inserted in a slot 10 formed centrally in the front wall 3.

A tray 11 is shaped to form supporting flanges 12 extending downwardly from the edges thereof. This tray is adapted to fit snugly between the end walls 5 and 6 and the center portion of the tray is madev somewhat Wider than the ends in order that these center portions may contact with the front and rear walls 3 andz4 and eiect an arching of this center portion of the tray when the carton is closed. This additional width at the center of the tray is indicated by the spaces 13 and 14 between the edges of the tray itself and the broken lines which are spaced apart a distance equal to the 55 width of the ends of said tray.

As an additional supporting means for the center part of the tray, the latter is provided` with tabs 15 and 16 extending downwardly from the body of the tray and adapted to contact with the bottom 2 of the carton. The tray 60 is provided with a plurality of more or less uniformly spaced openings 17 each of which has a diameter substantially less than the small diameter of eggs of averagesize. The openings 17 form seats for the eggs which are only great 65 enough in diameter to receive the terminal portions of the eggs, so that when the tray is properly positioned in the bottom of the carton the eggs will be supported above and in spaced rela-v tion to the bottom 2.

The carton illustrated herein is designed to package a dozen eggs. For convenience, the twelveopenings 17 may be considered as arranged in three groups 18, 19 and 20. In the aforesaid pending application, each opening of a group overlapped a largeopening formed in the ,bottom of the carton and designed to transmit light from `a suitable ysource to the eggs seated in the openings 17. For example, in the prior case,`the four openings of group 18 would 80 overlap an opening defined by the circle 21.

- It was found that this large opening unnecessarily weakened the bottom of the carton, as the same candling effect could be obtained by substituting four smaller openings lying Within the l circle' 21 for one large circular opening. Accordingly, 'in this case, the circle 21 has four arcuate apertures 22 formed therein, and equi- `angularly spaced around the circle. This arrangement leaves a central substantially X- il()` shaped member 23 which materially stiffens the bottom 2 of the carton. Each aperture 22 is therefore located so that its inner arcuate edge lies directly below and registers with a diameter of one of the holes 17 formed in the tray 11.

The cover 7 is divided by partitions 24 vand 25 into three openings closed by transparent material to form` windows 26, 27 and 28,'made as large as possible consistent with the strength of the cover, and located directly over the groups 18, 19 and 20, respectively. The slight increase in width at the center of the tray 11 causes the tray at the center part thereof to bulge upwardly when the carton is folded with the flap 8 .tucked in between the 105 filler 18 and the front wall 3 of the carton. This bulging serves to stiffen the tray and prevents it from sagging downwardly, the tabs 15 and 16 limiting the downward movement in order/ that, when pressure is applied to the opposite sides of the tray 11 at the center thereof, the tray must bulge upwardlyl instead of downwardly. This slight bulging ofthe tray also has the effect of causing the front Wall of the carton to cooperate with the tab 9 in holding the carton securely closed thereby presenting a neat appearing and effectively sealed package in which the eggs may be candled without disturbing them in the carton.

As in the aforesaid pending application, Serial No. 538,804, the tray, in addition to raising, nesting and protecting the eggs, also serves another and still greater purpose; it causes. to be sealed out all light passing through the carton from below except that transmitted throughthe eggs. When light passes through the carton in places other than through the eggs, the effectiveness of candling is lost and efficient determinationof the quality of the eggs cannot be accurately accomplished. All light mustbe sealed out except that coming through the eggs. The

sealing out of all sunlight or other extraneous,

light, Whch, lif brought into contact with the light which passes through the egg will cause the eyeto see an image of the eggs which is markedly dimmed and with consequent loss of proper determination as to quality.

It is thought that the invention, and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages; the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating my invention.

What I claim is:

1; In a carton for eggs, ya substantially rectangular containerhaving a bottoml and a cover, a tray removably mounted within the container and provided with openings defining seats for eggs, the bottom being formedfwith spacedpart openings each of which is overlapped by ony one of the openings in said tray and is formed at one side of the axis of said opening, said tray fitting snugly within the container and being wider at the center part thereof to cause an upward bulge in said center part by the lateral pressure of the front and rear walls of the container.

2. In a carton for eggs, a container having a bottom and a cover, a tray removably mounted Within the container and `having a plurality of openings forming seats for eggs, said bottom being formed with .a plurality of spaced apart openings each of which is overlapped by only one of the openings in the tray and is formed at one s 'de of the axis of said opening thereby leaving unbroken portions of said bottom directly below the major portion of each of said seats, said portions forming X-shaped reinforcing strips directly below similar strips separating groups of openings in the tray.

CECIL S. HASSELL. 

